Tosh

2

Wrong keeper, wrong RB (Where's KWP), wrong CB (Livra for Stephens), wrong AMs - got to be Stuey and Tella.
Forster was far better in the warm up games. McCarthy was error-prone. Tella and Stuey are far superior to Walcott and Djenepo who aren't consistent providers or scorers.
Strange team in my view

10

Strange manager.

2

Looks like Ralph is striving for continuity from the last few seasons. Two RB's on the bench, second choice keeper and no subs to change things. Got pretty predictable.

10

We played so well in the first half and then we did our usual second half collapse.Why we can’t play two half’s well l don’t know. The first goal they scored came from a poor clearance from guess who Stephens
didn’t understand why Bednarek didn’t start overall the new kid at right back was great and Armstrong looks to be a great addition along with Perrau we will be ok.Still baffled by the starting lineup though.

15

In some senses same old same old. Start slow, dominate, score, fail to take further chances second half fall apart, make no changes until behind, changes do nothing perhaps even make things worse.

On the positive side, Armstrong looked sharp, Livra looked awesome in the first half, Salisu looks good, Perraud was fairly effective. we seemed to play the ball forward faster.

On the downside - Poor defending is still our Achilles heel. We started the second half being overrun, Ralph should have changed things but didn't last year the excuse was there was no one on the bench, that doesn't wash this year. We should have tightened up and looked to score on the break in the second half.

14

Strange line up, why was walker peters,Forster, s Armstrong bednarek, missing from today line up. Ralph makes his own problems. For god sake play your strongest team when they are all available, was he still thinking this was a pre season line up , while the Quality was sitting on the bench. We will be in trouble if he keeps tinkering with the team. Please please please use the vestergaard money on a no nonsense CB , one that can actually marshal the back four. Semmens must make that money available or we will be leaking goals all season ,they are out there so get on with it.

16

What are you doing Ralph? Great - you are an eccentric manager but selections, tactics, substitutions have to be sensible. We have all seen that Saints performance before, many times, under you. I fear a very long and difficult season ahead. Yes, it is only one game but we conceded three to a powder-puff Everton. If JS is first choice after all this time then something is very wrong.

10

Positives Livramento, Adam Armstrong, I also thought Djenepo is coming along. I'm not saying I agreed with the line-up but they performed well.

-ve's I don't get that KWP and Armstrong who were 2 of our best players last year did not start.

Theo was absent. For sure Stuart Armstrong or even Tella would have been a better starter.

Weve seen the pattern of conceding a lead so often, and weve seen Stuart Armstrong is effective in defensive midfield, he is a way better option to have on the pitch when the going gets tough to shore up our defensive midfield in a Plan B.

Fraser had the better pre-season with way less goals conceded and should have started.

Iwobi came on and affected the game and they scored and then we took off one of our more effective players in Romeu, replace with Diallo and they scored again.

I would love it if we took the initiative for a change and made an early sub.

10

In short.... Substitutes 10 minutes too late. Never understood why we bought Walcott. Great debut AA. & VL.

12